Delvinia Case Study: Microsoft Canada’s No Friend Left Behind Campaign

Microsoft Canada’s No Friend Left Behind Campaign, designed by Delvinia to promote the launch of Window’s Live Messenger for the iPhone and iPod touch, is a creative concept that highlights the critical moments when you need the expertise of the friends on your IM list the most—all while poking fun at the fact that different friends meet different needs in our daily lives.

Delvinia President Steve Mast discusses the project and the campaign strategy in the video below.

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Ways to boost your creativity

Whether your role at work is considered typically creative or not, creative problem-solving is always an asset. So, when you’re stumped and need to get unstumped (when you’re being creative you’re allowed to make up words), here are some tricks to help you get your brainpower and creative juices going at 100%.

Do things with the opposite hand. Unless you’re ambidextrous, it’ll force you to jumpstart muscles and brain parts you don’t normally use. Keep your brain alive by challenging it to work in ways in which it’s unaccustomed.

Hang out with kids. (Don’t be a creep though.) Kids are nuts but in a good way. They say what they are thinking. They don’t censor. They ask questions simply and expect a simple response. They can give you a fresh perspective on things. They live for every moment. They ask why – and you’ll ask yourself why as well.

Daydream. Let your mind wander freely. It’s gives your mind that downtime that is so critical to creativity.

Be social. Meeting new people always opens up possibilities to learning new things and new ways of seeing or approaching things. Today I met an artist. She inspired me with how she integrated found objects (paper shreddings) into her paintings. It doesn’t mean you have to make a life-long friend every day. It just means you’ve increased your odds for learning something new through each new person you meet.

Turn it upside down. Whatever it is, turning it upside down will make you see things in a different way.

Keep a sketchbook handy. Sounds so basic but you never know when inspiration will strike. Keeping a  sketchbook is one central place where you can record random thoughts, doodle, make notes and capture those “eureka” moments. It’s also a great way to document your thinking process before you act on it.

Look at black and white photos. They always tell a good story.

Change your  location. If you can manage it – even for half an hour, move to a different workspace. Outside. Downstairs. Upstairs. In a cafe. On a roof. Even the simple act of switching your environment will help you brainstorm ideas to come at a problem from a different angle.

People-watch. Watch the world go by, instead of just going by. Get out from behind your computer (after you finish reading this) and go forth into the world. Watch the birds migrate south overhead. Watch how the cranes on construction sites are so beautifully functional.  When you observe, you get a sense of rhythm in a community or place and you’ll see how people interact with their environment.

Keep pictures of things that inspire you. Tear out pages from magazines, print out webpages or take snapshots of things you find interesting – from puddles after a rainfall to graffiti you pass everyday to beautiful store displays. Think of it as an ongoing inspiration list or an ever-changing moodboard. Flip through your collection later and you’ll find they’ll still spark some interest.

Eavesdrop. This is like people-watching but more involved. Listening in to other people’s conversations will give you insights into human behaviour. (Ever try standing in the makeup aisle on a saturday listening to women choose makeup? It’s a whole community in there full of commenting and recommendations and thumbs up and thumbs down.)

Draw with a pen. If you’re already capturing ideas in a sketchbook – great. If you’re hesitant, using a pen will make you COMMIT to making a mark. Lose the eraser if you’re using a pencil. It makes you second guess.

What would your alter ego do? You do things a certain way, with regularity, because you are you. But if you were someone completely opposite or someone you’ve always wanted to be, what would you do?

Look at other cultures. Their sensibilities are different. They look at the world differently. They communicate differently. It may be the wabi sabi philosophy of Japan or the pole pole mindset of a Tanzanian. Looking at other cultures can teach you much about how to tackle problems a different way.

Throw it out. As creative people, we become attached to our creations – for better or worse. Sometimes, the best thing will come out of tossing an idea or design out completely. It’s freeing.

Flip through children’s books. The illustrations will inspire you, make you smile and help you shake off all the ‘grown-up’ constraints.

Be random. Change your routine. Do something different. Oftentimes, in doing something random and breaking from your routine you’ll discover something completely new.

Tell us what creativity-boosting techniques do you use to help you solve your (design) problems?